Harold Ladouceur on a Metis settlement in northern Alberta

By Steve Buffery

 When Harold Ladouceur was a young boy growing up on a Metis settlement in northern Alberta, he raced horses in the bush for his grandparents.

“I can’t remember not riding horses. I rode horses since I could walk,” said Ladouceur, during a break from his work day inside barn nine at the Woodbine backstretch. “I’d go to my uncle’s house and ride his horses when he was still sleeping early in the morning. I’d jump on them, no saddle, no bridle, just tie a rope in their mouth and go.

“My mom (Florence) told me once that I had horse piss for blood,” Ladouceur added with a laugh.

Ladouceur is laughing and smiling a lot these days. Having a King’s Plate contender can do that for you. On July 9 at Woodbine, in the $200,000 Plate Trial Stakes, Ladouceur’s bay gelding Imyourmedicineman, a 28-1 long-shot, launched a strong outside move inside the three-furlong marker to finish an impressive second by one length to the Dale Desruisseaux-trained Highwaytothemoon. That performance suggests that Imyourmedicineman is a bonafide King’s Plate contender. His trainer certainly thinks so.

“I think he’s going to put us in glory,” said Ladouceur, a very proud native Canadian who was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame two years ago. “And who better than King Louis (Contreras) to ride him in the King’s Plate?”

Imyourmedicineman was purchased by Harold and Jesse Ladouceur at the CTHS Ontario yearling sales for $12,000 and, so far, has made $85,873 US. Harold said he knew he had something special right away.

“He was a two-year-old and I was in Miami and we left the horses at the farm longer that year and when I came here (to Woodbine) and took him to the track and we had a groom working for us and I said: ‘No, no, no. I’m going to look after that horse.’ And I told my wife, 'we've got a Plate horse.’ That was after one day of galloping.’

The son of 2014 Queen’s Plate and Grade 1 race winner Shaman Ghost out of Silent Sparkle, Imyourmedicineman broke his maiden in his second race as a two-year-old in 2025 and in his final race last year, finished third in the Coronation Futurity.

“When Luis got off the horse in the Coronation, he said to me, ‘You got a King’s Plate horse,’” said Ladouceur. “I was thinking about that all winter. I did sell a piece of him to a partner so it’s been going the way I want. Could have maybe won a race, but we’ll see him in the Plate.”

Imyourmedicineman has two seconds in four starts this year but it was his run in the Plate Trial that has people talking, though obviously he’ll face some major competition in Canada’s most prestigious race on Aug.15 at Woodbine – including early favorite Luster, Brachetto, Highwaytothemoon and Dixie Law.

“The horse that won the Plate Trial (Highwaytothemoon) had the perfect trip on the inside. Medicineman was wide the whole way, but when Luis asked him to run, he came running,” said Ladouceur.

Imyourmedicineman was named by Harold and his wife/co-owner/assistant trainer Jesse Ladouceur.

“He’s by Shaman’s Ghost and a shaman is a medicine man,” said Harold, adding that Imyourmedicineman came out of Plate Trial in good shape.

“I’m happy, but there are a few little things we can work on. His gallop out was amazing. I loved it,” said Ladouceur.

Having a King’s Plate contender is a huge shot in the arm for any small or medium sized operation and Ladouceur said there is certainly a sense of excitement around his barn.

“It’s a great feeling. I feel privileged,” he said.

When asked if he was nervous or happy, Ladouceur replied: “I think all of the above. Nervous, happy, excited. But I still sleep well.

“My wife will probably get more nervous than I will. We’ll probably be hollering at each other (all next week),” he added with a laugh.

The personable Ladouceur has been training at Woodbine since 2004 and has recorded 105 firsts, 147 seconds and 158 thirds in 1,302 career starts for earnings of $4,627,156 US. Keswick, Ont. resident has conditioned some standouts over the years, including the Ericka Rusnak-bred filly Paladin Bay, a $10,000 purchase by the Ladouceurs who earned over $600,000 in her stellar career, including wins in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes (2014) and the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2013). Ladouceur’s chestnut gelding Vitality finished sixth in the 2024 King’s Plate and a few weeks later, won the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie – the second jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown, for owners Frank Stronach and Joel Hunsburger.

“I trained the last two Prince of Wales winners and I think this guy (Imyourmedicineman) is going there too for three in a row,” said Ladouceur, referring to Vitality (2024) and Runaway Again (2025) winning the Prince of Wales Stakes. “Even though Sid (Attard) had him as a three-year-old, I trained Runaway Again as a two-year-old. I got him ready for Sid. He was a bad horse to deal with, they needed a guy like me, somebody who is good and experienced to get a horse like that to the track. He was not easy.”

Imyourmedicineman, on the other hand, is a joy to train.

“There he is,” said Ladouceur, introducing Imyourmedicineman to a reporter earlier this week. “He loves attention, he loves getting looked after, he loves mints, he loves carrots, he loves Guinness.”

And he loves to run. Ladouceur said Imyourmedicineman enjoyed a nice, half-mile breeze last Saturday and he’ll breeze one more time this Saturday leading up to the Plate. Ladouceur will pull out all the stops to prepare his Plate contender the best way he can, on the track and off, including asking some indigenous elders for some guidance.

“I have a bag of medicine, all natural. Even the earth is medicine. There is a place in Utah where you have to get it. Red earth. My uncle got some and gave it to me. I’m going to put some on (Imyourmedicineman),” said Ladouceur.

Recently, Ladouceur videotaped a large, magnificent hawk dancing on top of his barn at Woodbine. The way he sees it, a good omen.

“It says there’s good medicine here,” he said.